Things started out terribly but worked out in the end, as Alabama avenged their earlier loss to Oklahoma to advance in the College Football Playoff.
Alabama won the toss and elected to defer, giving the ball
first to Oklahoma QB John Mateer. The Sooners predictably tried to be aggressive on the first play with a play action pass, but nothing was there. Mateer did manage to convert two first downs, one on a pass to the flat and one with his legs, but the drive fizzled out after that and Oklahoma had to punt.
The Sooners had flipped the field however, setting the Tide up at their own 12 yard line, reminding of the November game in Tuscaloosa in which the entire game was seemingly played in Alabama territory. Isaiah Horton failed to corral a third down pass from Simpson that was thrown intentionally low, and a Blake Doud punt gave the ball back to the Sooners at their own 41.
Mateer promptly found an explosive pass over the middle to get into Alabama territory. Keon Keeley then got pinned inside on a QB power for another first down, Dijon Lee missed a tackle on third and ten to allow the ball inside the 10, and Mateer cashed it in for a touchdown run. To say that things looked ominous at that point would be a massive understatement.
To make matters worse, the special teams issues showed up again when Lotzeir Brooks decided to run a kickoff out of the end zone, only to get stuffed at the 15. Simpson got sacked on first down, got those yards back to Josh Cuevas on second, then had to call timeout in order to avoid a delay of game. The discussion did no good as Simpson was forced to bail on the pocket and had nowhere to go with the football. This time Doud shanked the punt and Oklahoma had the ball in plus territory yet again.
Only a penalty stopped the Sooners. After another easy first down, an unsportsman like conduct flag had them in 3rd and 18 outside field goal range. But, the usually reliable Zabien Brown blew a tackle on a smoke screen to set up Oklahoma’s star kicker Tate Sendell, who banged through a 51-yarder. Brooks fair caught the ball this time, and after two Jam Miller runs it was 3rd and 3 to open the second quarter, with Oklahoma leading 10-0 and thoroughly dominating the action.
Alabama was of course unable to convert, Doud shanked one even worse than his prior try, and in short order Oklahoma was putting the ball back into the end zone on a busted coverage. Oklahoma led 17-0, and the game looked to be all but over and it was fair to wonder if the Kalen DeBoer era in Tuscaloosa was as well.
Simpson finally found an explosive pass play to Lotzeir Brooks on a corner route to breach Oklahoma territory, and a slant to Cuevas moved the ball into the red zone. It wasn’t easy, but Brooks caught a 4th down stick route and broke a tackle to take the ball into the end zone for a sorely needed score that brought the Tide back to within ten at 17-7.
It was finally Alabama’s turn to get a special teams break. After a dropped pass on what may well have been another Oklahoma touchdown, Sooners punter Grayson Miller dropped the snap to set Alabama up at the Sooners’ 30 yard line. Alabama was unable to do much with it, but Conor Talty knocked through a 35-yard try for a one score deficit. Somehow, some way, Alabama was back in a game that had looked like a lost cause just a few minutes prior.
On the very next possession, Zabien Brown baited Mateer into a pick six and the game was tied at 17. The script was flipped from the game in November, as it was Oklahoma leading the yardage 236-100 while the scoreboard showed a tie headed into the locker room with Alabama set to receive.
Simpson immediately found Germie Bernard underneath for a catch-and-run first down out of the locker room. Sadly, another Ryan Williams drop on third down ended the drive and Blake Doud punted it yet again. Oklahoma had the ball at their own 25, but the Tide defense was up to the challenge and forced a three-and out. Cole Adams was hit late out of bounds on the return and Alabama was in business, 1st and 10 at their own 40.
Alabama fans were rubbing their eyes in disbelief on first down, as Daniel Hill ripped off a 29 yard run to move the ball well into Oklahoma territory. It was the longest run from scrimmage since week two. Simpson then hit Brooks again on the deep corner route for a 30-yard touchdown, pairing a rare deep ball completion with the rare explosive run play. All of a sudden, the Alabama sideline had life not seen in weeks.
Keon Keeley stepped up with a first down sack of Mateer on the first play of the next possession, and Yhonzae Pierre matched him on second down. After another punt, Alabama had the ball in good field position yet again at the Alabama 38. Simpson moved the ball down the field through the air but stalled out just shy of the red zone, and Talty made a 40-yarder from the left hash for a ten point lead.
Mateer was able to convert a couple of first downs to close out the third quarter and had the ball near midfield to open the 4th, down 27-17. A soft pass interference call on Bray Hubbard set up a 37-yard touchdown pass to Deion Burks, and the Sooners were back within three.
Simpson then hit another deep ball, this time to Isaiah Horton for 37 yards, to put the ball back into Oklahoma territory. Two straight Jam Miller runs were stuffed to set up 3rd and 11, followed by a sack that felt inevitable, and Alabama was punting again. Doud was able to do the job this time, pinning Oklahoma back at their own 7-yard line with the Tide clinging to a skinny field goal lead.
Alabama’s defense got it done to force the three-and-out, and it was Miller who shanked a punt this time, setting the Tide up at the Oklahoma 35. Hill ripped off a six-yard run to open the drive, then Germie Bernard “Mossed” a defender for first and goal at the 5. Check out this beauty:
Hill punched it in from there on a tough run, breaking a tackle along the way, and Alabama was staked to a 34-24 lead. Kelby Collins, rotating in for LT Overton, sacked Mateer on third down to force another punt and Alabama had the ball back, up 10 with possession of the ball.
After two runs netted five yards but required Oklahoma to burn two timeouts, Simpson was sacked on third down and Alabama was forced to punt the ball with just under five minutes to play. Mateer was able to get the ball into field goal range, but Sendell shocked everyone in the building by missing the 35-yard try, and that was that. He had another shot from 51 and left it short, proving that even the best kickers battle psychological demons.
This game was something of a microcosm of this Alabama season. The team we saw in the first quarter could absolutely lose to a team like Florida State, but the one that we saw go on a 34-7 heater against a very good Oklahoma squad could win a national title. Next up is top ranked and unbeaten Indiana, and which version of Alabama shows up in Pasadena will tell the tale.
As we like to say around here, hope for the best.
Roll Tide.
